For the past four decades, kindergartens in Germany have been experimenting with a controversial solution to help reduce future rates of drug abuse among children. The answer is to take away the children’s toys.
Studies from the 80s show that toys are like drugs – providing a feeling of release. By removing this item, children will be forced to develop more important skills such as critical thinking, creativity and social skills.
Toys are like drugs – they provide a feeling of release.
A care center in Berlin recently said no to children’s toys for 3 months. The teachers do not give any instructions and observe the children’s behavior. The kids later found a way to “have fun” by designing their own games based on what was in the room.
Without toys, those children put scarves around their backs and imagine themselves as animals. They even fold chairs to make trains or play with wooden stakes in the yard.
According to Elisabeth Seifert, manager at Aktion Jugendschutz, an NGO that supports the project, children will have time to develop their own ideas.
The kids later found a way to “have fun” by designing their own games based on what was in the room.
“During this time, they no longer need existing toys. They make their own games. They play together more, thereby developing psychological foundations.”
This study is similar to another study by Johns Hopkins University, which suggested that scarcity drives creativity . “Contrary to popular belief, abundant resources are sometimes not conducive to creativity,” wrote Meng Zhu and Ravi Mehta, the project’s authors.
“We recognize that scarcity drives consumers to think beyond the conventional confines of a product, and is thought-provoking.”
Without toys, children will have time to develop their own ideas.
Models of ” kindergarten without toys “ received mixed reviews. According to Hans Mogel, a psychology professor from the University of Passau, it’s a form of child abuse. However, this model and its meaningful message also received many positive responses.
In this digital age, young children need space to develop creative thinking, which is beneficial for their development.